05.11.2013, Kirsi Levä, Jesse Nurmela and Mikko Ojala
Investigating a major incident at
the Vihtavuori plant and the
lessons learned
Overview of presentation
The presentation is divided into three main parts:
1. A brief summary of what happened at the Vihtavuori
plant on 9–10 July 2013
2. The factors that led to the major accident risk
3. The investigation group’s main recommendations in
order to learn from the Vihtavuori case and improve
safety in the future.
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Part 1:
A brief summary of
what happened at
the Vihtavuori plant
The major accident risk on 9-10 July, 2013
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The evacuation: 2000 inhabitants from
Vihtavuori Village
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Tukes is responsible
for investigating
serious accidents
and incidents
Tukes’s investigation at the Vihtavuori plant
• The aim was to discover the chain of events and the risk factors that led to the
incident and to make recommendations for safety improvements.
• The investigation got underway at the Vihtavuori plant by examining the
storage area where the incident took place and interviewing Forcit workers.
• Later, the investigation was extended to the Pyhäsalmi Mine, from where the
steaming waste container originated.
• The investigation team studied Tukes’s archive material, and additional
documents and data were requested from the companies in question.
• The companies in question demonstrated clear and open co-operation during
the investigation. All requested material and clarifications were distributed
without any delay.
• An accident or a serious incident always has a number of different causes. An
accident investigation is always a complex and difficult process, and there is
never one definitive cause.
• Tukes’s investigation report was published on 1 October, 2012 and is available
in Finnish on Tukes’s webpages (www.tukes.fi). These slides and an English
summary of the investigation are also available on the website.
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Part 2:
Factors that led to the
major accident risk at
the Vihtavuori plant
Why did the container start steaming?
What did it contain?
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The steaming container held sensitized
emulsion explosives, rock material, two
detonators, and other impurities
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The waste container was originally from
Pyhäsalmi Mine
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Lessons learned from Pyhäsalmi Mine
• One of the main factors in the incident was a new
mobile explosive unit (MEMU) and the technical
problems experienced in its commissioning phase.
Technical problems led to an incident where a significant
amount of sensitized emulsion dropped onto the tunnel
floor.
• A second important factor in the chain of events was
that in Pyhäsalmi Mine the sensitized emulsion was
mistakenly handled as a typical emulsion waste and was
not recognized as a non-conformity.
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Storage of waste containers at the Forcit plant
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Part 3:
Lessons learned
from the Vihtavuori
case
1. Proper procedures are needed to handle
emulsion explosives waste
• All parties need to ensure that they have
adequate processes and procedures in place
related to the handling, storage, transportation
and disposal of emulsion explosives.
• They also need to ensure that all measures are
properly implemented and monitored.
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2. Legal requirements need to be met
• In major hazard installations everyone is
responsible for safety and following instructions.
• Managers need to ensure that legal requirements
and instructions are met, and that corrective
actions are adequate.
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3. Change management and management of
non-conformities need particular attention
• Safety-critical changes may include a significant and
rapid increase in production volumes, the use of new
technology or new kinds of products, or changes
relating to organisational structures and
responsibilities, or supply chains.
• There is a need to organise training for personnel and
to improve instructions to better identify and manage
the effect of these changes on safety.
• In addition, there is a need to organise training for
personnel and to improve instructions related to the
identification and handling of deficiencies.
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4. Emergency prepareness and training for
emergency situations can be improved
• The major accident scenarios presented in safety
reports should be more systematically
communicated when preparing internal and
external emergency plans
• In addition, training for those scenarios should be
comprehensive
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5. A reform of the Explosives Act is needed
• A complete review and reform of the Explosives
Act is essential
• The requirements need to be updated to take into
account the specific properties and risks
connected with emulsion explosives
• An up-to-date Act also provides a better basis for
a surveillance authority like Tukes to work from
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Further information:
Major accident risk in Vihtavuori: investigation
report abstract (Available at www.tukes.fi PDF)
Investigation group:
Kirsi Leva, Jesse Nurmela and Mikko Ojala